Over the years, the widespread and unnecessary use of antibiotics has stimulated the growth of multi-drug-resistant pathogens at an alarming rate. Hence, it is essential to explore alternatives to antibiotics to reduce bacterial infections worldwide. Several reports are available on the formulation of new drug molecules, novel nano-biomaterials, and a combination of both to limit the spread of antibiotic-resistant pathogens. Considering this, a new class of polyelectrolytes labelled as poly (ionic liquid) s (PILs) are becoming increasingly important in developing non-antibiotic treatments of infectious diseases. This review summarizes the current advancement of PILs as an alternative to antibiotics. At first, preparing PILs using different polymerization techniques will be highlighted as the basis for strategically designing and regulating the macromolecular architecture of PILs. In the second part, the antibacterial and contact-killing efficacies of three specific types of PILs (cationic, anionic, and zwitterionic) and the relevant structural features such as length of the alkyl chain, charge density, types of cations/anions, will be discussed. Finally, this review summarizes the reported minimum inhibitory concentration values of different classes of PILs against various microorganisms, mainly the gram-positive and negative bacterial strains. This review aims to provide an in-depth overview of the current state-of-the-art antimicrobial and contact-killing PILs to inspire scientists interested in this area.
Polymeric ionic liquids as antibacterial agents and contact killing substrates
Pucci A.;
2026-01-01
Abstract
Over the years, the widespread and unnecessary use of antibiotics has stimulated the growth of multi-drug-resistant pathogens at an alarming rate. Hence, it is essential to explore alternatives to antibiotics to reduce bacterial infections worldwide. Several reports are available on the formulation of new drug molecules, novel nano-biomaterials, and a combination of both to limit the spread of antibiotic-resistant pathogens. Considering this, a new class of polyelectrolytes labelled as poly (ionic liquid) s (PILs) are becoming increasingly important in developing non-antibiotic treatments of infectious diseases. This review summarizes the current advancement of PILs as an alternative to antibiotics. At first, preparing PILs using different polymerization techniques will be highlighted as the basis for strategically designing and regulating the macromolecular architecture of PILs. In the second part, the antibacterial and contact-killing efficacies of three specific types of PILs (cationic, anionic, and zwitterionic) and the relevant structural features such as length of the alkyl chain, charge density, types of cations/anions, will be discussed. Finally, this review summarizes the reported minimum inhibitory concentration values of different classes of PILs against various microorganisms, mainly the gram-positive and negative bacterial strains. This review aims to provide an in-depth overview of the current state-of-the-art antimicrobial and contact-killing PILs to inspire scientists interested in this area.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
